By the end of a third day of fighting, the war and rhetoric had escalated between Israel and Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had vowed to unleash a retaliatory strike and siege against Hamas militants that would “reverberate with them for generations” as Israeli airstrikes pounded Gaza. Hamas threatened to execute Israeli civilians its fighters had taken captive if Israel didn’t warn Gazans sheltering in their homes before attacking. President Biden said the United States stood “shoulder-to-shoulder” with Israel and promised more help. The death toll since Saturday’s incursion toll topped 1,600, and the number of people wounded surpassed 6,000.
